Handle for cooking utensils



Feb. 19, 1946. A. PETERSON 2,395,140

HANDLE FOR COOKING UTENSILS Filed April 10, 1944 gnaw/7 Patented Feb. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOR} oooKiNG UTEN'SI'LS,

mnds- Peterson; Berwyn, 111-5, assignor to Club Aluminum Products (tompany Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Delaware Application April; 10, 1944', Serial No, 530277" (or 29 F270 invention relates to improvements. in handles for cooking utensilsa and it. consists of the matters hereinafter described andmore particularly'pointed out inthe appended claims.

The invention is more especially concerned with a handle construction ofthe kind which includes a. flexible band that encircles or surrounds a' part ofthe utensil and a handlemem her so operatively secured to the band that the band and handle member form an assemblywhich may be; applied to and removdfrom the utensil. I I I II Qne oi the, objects of the invention is to provide ahandle assembly for a cooking uten'sil which may be readily applied to and removed from the utensil without requiring the removal ofn-uts or bolts a ndthe like. I I I I I A further. object of the invention is to provide a handleassembly which adjusts itself to accommodate irregularitiesin sizes of the associated part of the utensil-within reasonable-limits.

Also, it is an object of the invention toprov de a handle; assemblywhich positively. secures the, handle to the, utensilin a manner preventing; relative movement therebetweeh unde r the weight iY'theutensiland contents when the utensil is beingcarrie'd by means of the handle. I I II Eurthermor'e, it is an object of the iifivention to provide a handle assembly which is'of simple construction for low cost production and is strong and r igidandcannot" work loose from: the; uten' v Si] in the use thereofit The above mentioned-objects of the invent-ion;

astwell as others will more fully appear as-thef specificationproceeds.

the drawing: I I I I I Fig. 1 is a view insideelevation. of avcooking. utensil to which the improved handle; assembly has been applied;

Fig? 2 is a. horizontal detail sectional view through a part of'Fig, 1 as taken'on the line 2-2 thereof-and on a scale enlarged thereover. I

Fig; 3 is averticaldetailsectional view through; a part offFig. 1 as taken on the line 3-3 thereof and on the scaleof Fig, 2'. i

Fig. 4111s a detail view n side elevation ofthe; parts appearing in Fig. .2 and shows certain-of said, parts inf a position changed a from that appearingin Figs.- Land Fig; 5 is a. perspective view o fa certain-clip embodied inthimptovedhandle assembly, andwhich, clip showhon a scale smaller than that 2,3 and 4 and larger than-that oi'Fig; 1,

Rfeferring now'in' detail t'o that embodiment of the invention il-lustrated 'in the accompanying are. connected to the associated end of the band by'reversely curved or substantially S shaped expansible; and contractible loops l3, and 14' resliectivelv, I

15;- indicates a lever-like" handle, the inner end portion [6, of which is disposed between and has flat sides that are engaged by the fiat sides of the arms H' and I2 when the band; and handle are fully assembled} 'I he end portion IG' of the" handle has'a vertical height or thickness approximatingthe edgev vise height of the arms H and Fixed to the; outer surface of each arm H and l2"; somewhat adjacent the loops I3 and I4 is a clip H, the ends of which are bent over to for'm inwardlyextending top and bottom ears l 8l8 and which have bevelled end edges as best ap-v parEigl 3, The clip I! may be secured in any desired r nann'er'tof the respective arms, spot welding being one suitable means.

The. mag, arr'n' I I of the band is secured to the associated side of thehandle end portion It by means of a bolt; rivet or like member I9 and which memberhas another function as will'appear later. The short arm: I2 is provided with an interned extremity 20= which is adapted to engage" snugly in a narrow vertical groove 2| (see Fig; 2) in' the associated side of the. handle end portionwhen" the: band Illand handle [5 are Grid} of; each'arriiis an outwardly extending ea'r 2 6'; The other end o'ffeach arm is offset inwardly at distance approximating the thickness of the stock'ofthe-clipsll and is provided with a hole 2:17 therein. Thebolt I 9, beforem'entioned, passes through the holes'Zl in said arms as Well as through the-handle portion" l6 andarm Hand a nut l a isassociated with? the threaded end of thebolt. I I s I I A spacme washer" 28' (see Fig; 2) isdisposed upon said bolt to take up thethicknessof the short arm l2 of the band. It will be noted that the bolt l9 therefor not only secures the arm II of the band Ill to the handle portion I6, but it also provides a pivotal connection for the clip 23 and whereby said clip may be swung from a position clamping the arm I2 to the handle portion l6 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 to a position as shown in Fig. 4 and in which the arm I2 is released from the handle portion.

In applying the handle assembly described, to a neck-like part of the utensil shown in Fig. l, the clip 23 is first swung into upright position shown in Fig. 4 and wherein the arm I2 is released from the handle portion It; so as to spring outwardly therefrom. This provides a diameter for the band of such a dimension that the now open band may be placed down over the top end of the utensil to be disposed in'the plane of the before-mentioned neck-like part of said utensil.

When so positioned, the loops l3 and I4 constitute lever-like finger engageable parts which when pressed inwardly toward each other, by means of the thumb and fingers of one hand,

out of the way position wherein the ears cannot be so engaged by accident as to cause them to unlock the band from the utensil.

Whenthe utensil is being carried by the handle IE, it is apparent that the weight of the utensil and its contents exerts a strain at the junction of the handle and band and which strain is amply overcome by reason of the engagement the ears Ill-l8 have with the handle end portion I6. Thus play cannot develop between the handle and utensil so that it is safe to use under all conditions.

It will be observed that the stock of the handle l5 at the end is not of reduced size, hence its strength is maintained, thus facilitating the use of plastics or other material which have good heat insulating qualities but may not have great structural trength.

cause the arm l2 to move inwardly towards and into engagement with its associated side of the handle portion [5. When said arm is engaged with said side of the handle portion, its extremity 20 will enter the groove 2| in the handle portion i6 and the parts |8-I8 of the clip I! will engage with the top and bottom surfaces of said handle portion. By using the thumb of the other hand to press forwardly and then downwardly upon the bridge piece of the clip 23, said clip is swung about the bolt l9 so that the rounded junction of the ears 26 with the arms 44- will cause the clip 23 to swing into the clamping position as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 wherein it straddles said arms and handle portion. It is pointed out that as the clip 23 approaches the bottom limit of its clamping position, it exerts an increasing inward pressure clamping action on the arms II and I2, through the clips l'l-l'l to tightly clamp said arms against the sides of the handle portion l6.

It will be understood that the utensil, which is usually made of glass, is not always uniform in dimension and the part thereof to be encircled orsurrounded by the band may be out of round or larger or smaller in circumference within certain tolerances. 7

By reason of the use of the loops l3 and I4 which connect the arms II and I2 to, the associated end of the band l0, these loops provide the expansion and contraction necessary to permit the band to accommodate and fit a utensil despite the irregularities in dimensions of the utensil, as well as providing means by which the band may be manipulated as before described.

To clean the utensil when desired, the band may be quickly removed as follows. The loops !3 and M of the band are squeezed toward each other by the fingers of one hand and the ears 26 of the clip 23 are then grasped by the fingers and thumb of the other hand and an upward lift is exerted thereon. This swings the clip into the upright position shown in Fig. 4 and wherein the arm 24 of said clip associated with the arm l2 clears said arm. This arm now springs outwardly so that the band expands and may be lifted off the utensil from its top end. Both the band and handle, as well as the utensil itself, may be readily washed. The handle structure may then be reapplied to the utensil, as before described.

It is pointed out that when the band and handle have been applied to the utensil, the loops [3 and I4 and the ears 26 of the clip are disposed in an While in describing the invention, I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the parts involved, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so'that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A handle for a cooking utensil embodying therein a band for surrounding a part of the utensil and having ends that terminate as outwardly extending arms, a handle having an end portion disposed between and having side surfaces engaged by said arms, one of said arms being fixed to said handle end portion and the other arm being detachably engaged with said handle end-portion, means carried by said other arm and engaged with the top and bottom surfaces of said handle end portion, and pivoted means carried by and in one position straddling said handle end portion and embracing parts of said arms to hold the first mentioned means in operative relation on the handle, said pivoted means when swung into another position clearing said first mentioned means.

2. A handle-for a cooking utensil embodying therein a band for surrounding a part of the utensil and having ends that terminate as outwardly extending arms, a handle having an end portion disposed between and having side surfaces engaged by said arms, a bolt passing laterally through said handle end portion and securing one of said arms to said handle end portion, the other of said arms being detachably engaged with said handle end portion, means carried by said other arm and engaged with the top and bottom'surfaces of said handle end portion, and means pivotally mounted on said bolt and straddling said handle end portion and embracing parts of said arm and coacting with said first mentioned meansin securing them together in operative relation.

3. A handle for a cookingutensil embodying therein a band for surrounding a part of the utensil and having ends formed to provide expansion loopsthat-terminate as outwardly extending arms, a handle havingan end portion disposed between and having side surfaces engaged by said arms, means for attachin one of said arms to said handle end portion, the other of said arms being detachably engaged with said handle end portion, and a clip pivoted on said attaching means and including parts normally straddling said handle endportion and embracing parts of said'arms for operatively securing said arms and handle end portion in operative relation, said clip being adaptedtobe swung intoa second position clearing said parts ofvsaid arms,

4. A handle for'a'c'ooking utensil embodying therein a band for surrounding a part of the utensil and having ends formed to provide expansion loops that terminate as outwardly extending arms, a handle having an end portion disposed between and having side surfaces engaged by said arms, means carried by said arms and engaged with the top and bottom surfaces of said handle end portion, a member attaching one of said arms to said handle portion, and means pivotally mounted on said member and in one position straddling said handle end portion and embracing parts of said arms for operatively securing said arms and handle end portion in operative relation, said pivotally mounted means when swung into a second position, clearing said means carried by said arms to permit the removal of the band from said part of the utensil.

5. A handle for a cooking utensil embodying therein a band for encircling a part of the utensil and having ends formed to provide expansion loops that terminate as outwardly extending arms, a handle having an end portion disposed between and having side surfaces engaged by said arms, a bolt extending laterally through said handle end portion and securing one of said arms thereto, the other of said arms detachably engaging said handle end portion, means carried. by said arms and engaged with the top and bottom surfaces of said handle end portion, and means pivotally mounted on said bolt and straddling said handle end portion and embracing parts of said arms and coacting with the first mentioned means in operatively securing them together.

6. A handle for a cooking utensil embodying therein a band for surrounding a part of the utensil and having ends formed to provide substantiall S shaped parts that terminate as outwardly extending arms and which parts function as finger engageable parts in drawing said band ends toward each other, a handle having a portion disposed in operative relation to said arms, and means for securing said arms and said handle portion together.

7. A unitary handle assembly adapted for removable attachment to a part of a cooking utensil, said assembly embodying therein a handle and a resilient band for surrounding said part of the utensil and which band has ends that terminate as outwardly extending arms, one of which is fixed to one side of a part of said handle, the other of said arms being normally sprung away and spaced laterally from the other side of said part of the handle, but being engaged therewith when said assembly is disposed upon said utensil, and means having a pivotal connection with said part of the handle and swingable from a position securing said other arm in place against its associated part of the handle to a position releasing said arm therefrom to permit it to spring back to its normal position for the removal of the assembly as a unit from said utensil. v

8. A unitary handle assembly adapted for removable attachment to a part of a cooking utensil, said assembly embodying therein a handle and a resilient band for surrounding said part of the utensil and which band has ends that terminate as outwardl extending arms, a member fixing one of said arms to one side of a part of said handle, the other of said arms being normally sprung away and spaced laterally from the other side of said part of the handle but being engaged therewith when said assembly is disposed upon said utensil, and means pivoted on said member and swingable from a position securing said other arm in place against its associated part of the handle to a position releasing said arm therefrom to permit it to spring back to its normal position for the removal of the 40 assembly as a unit from said utensil.

AMOS PETERSON. 

